BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBMA) — Birmingham police say illegal celebratory gunfire dropped significantly on New Year’s Eve 2025. Still, some city council members say their experience in neighborhoods across the city tells a different story.
According to the Birmingham Police Department, celebratory gunfire incidents decreased by 37 percent compared to last year as part of Operation Close Out, an intelligence-led initiative that used historical gunfire detection data to deploy more than 100 officers into areas with higher past activity. Police report 597 gunfire incidents and 4,688 rounds detected on Dec. 31, 2025, down from 948 incidents in 2024 and 1,531 incidents in 2023. Police also say the operation resulted in several DUI arrests, the recovery of multiple firearms, and no homicides during the initiative.
The program traces its roots back to 2007 under former Police Chief A.C. Roper and was expanded under current Chief Michael Pickett using newer technology and data-driven deployment strategies…